hath overcome death and with his immortall hand holds forth immortality to us If thou wilt have riches and honour be wise and he will hold out his left hand and bestow them on thee if they be fit for thee Figures The whole verse is metaphorical in the principall scope of it though verified literally to some wise and good men It intimates that as a Queen hath greater or lesser rewards for her servants so hath wisdome for hers For she hath no right hand nor left but diversity of gifts some greater some lesser some in this world some in the world to come Note 1. The greater gift 2. The lesser In the former observe 1. The gift Length of daies Long life 2. The worth of it Is in her right hand It is a right handed gift In the latter note 1. The gift it selfe which is double And riches and honour 2. The valew of it In her left hand It is a left-handed gift usefull but of lesser valew then the former Doct. 1. Many good things attend upon true wisdome This is proved in this Chapter from Verse 14. to verse 18. 1. Comparatively it is better then silver yea then fine gold yea then Rubies yea then any thing imaginable or desirable 2. Particularly she brings long life and riches to sweeten that and honour to make it more acceptable and pleasantness to comfort against crosses and peace for quiet enjoyment of what we have and life after death when all worldly comforts fail 3. Summarily It brings happinesse which contains all good things in it So he concludes ver 28. as hee began ver 13. with happinesse attending on true wisdom if it be not onely laid hold on but retained Reason Many good things attend on wisdom 1. By way of concomitancy As beads and pearles hang many on one string and many lesser attend upon one greater so other good things are joyned with and attend upon wisdom 2. By what way of efficiency Wisdome hath a plotting head If any good thing be to be had it will find it out and reach it 3. By way of remuneration from God So God rewarded Solomons desire of wisdom with riches and honour 2 Chron. 1.7 c. Use Who would not enjoy many good things Go then the nearest way to the wood get true wisdom Hee that knew what would be dear need be a Merchant but a year If one told you of a commodity would make you rich ye would get store of it quickly Do so of wisdom 2. Doct. Wisdom brings long life See on ver 2. and on ver 8. Reason 1. Because wisdome foresees what is profitable to prolong or hurtfull to shorten mens daies and carefully provides the one and avoids the other 2. Because it rules our unruly passions of fear grief anger which overrule many men that want wisdom and bring them early to their grave by murtherers robberies wantonnesse gluttony drunkennesse surfets palsies gouts plurises Apoplexies and afterwards send them to Hell for ever But wisdom makes men stout cheerfull patient which vertues help to prolong mens daies 3. Because it teacheth a man temperance and moderation in the use of meat and drink which keeps men from surfet and is the mother of health and long life Experience shews that temperate men live longest 4. Because of Gods promise of long life to such as are wise as in the text Use Let this particular mercy also stirre us up to seeke after true wisdom Long life is a sweet mercy and generally desired Seek it in the waies of wisdom Folly brings many to untimely ends 3. Doct. Wisdom brings riches also Abraham Isaack Jacob Joseph David were both wise and rich Reason 1. Because wisdom teacheth a man to make conscience to labour in his calling which is the high way to riches He knows that God requires it and his family the Church and the Commonwealth 2. Gods blessing follows it For when he gives one blessing he gives another If hee give wisdom hee can afford riches Use To blame those that would be rich but care not for being wise Wisdom can make men rich but riches cannot make men wise It is often observed that the elder brotheri carry away the land and the younger the wit So God divides his gifts when he please They that seek mony before wisdom count learning the way to beggery But God reckons otherwise 4. Doct. Wisdom brings honour also Wee see it in Joseph who for his wisdom was made ruler over the land of Aegypt Gen. 41.38 39. And Daniel for the same reason was made ruler over the whole Province of Babylon Dan. 2.48 Reason 1. Because God hath cut out such and stamped them for honour which he will not give to fooles that know not how to use it or to carry themselves suitably Honour is not seemly for a fool Prov. 26.1 He will do hurt with it as a stone in a sling Prov. 26.8 2. God causeth great men and states to advance such for they know they will be fit instruments for their service and the publick good 3. Good men will honour wise men who know best what belongs to honour Use To blame those who look not after that honour that wisdom brings but seek to get honour by basenesse flattery and humouring others in sinfull waies This honour hangs on a rotten bough It will surely fall Seek rather by wisdom to get honour which will last for ever 5. Doct. Long life is better then riches or honour Therefore it is mentioned as the greatest promise With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation Psal 91.16 This crownes all the former mercies mentioned in that Psalme This is commended in good men at their death when no mention is made of riches or honour Abraham died in a good old age an old man and full of years Gen. 25.8 It is there doubled yea trebled in different expressions as a singular mercy never to be fogotten Reason 1. Because long life is the basis and foundation of the comfort of both the other Riches and honour doe little good or bring little comfort where life is short Life is an internall principle without which there is no comfort in externall things no more then to a jewell set in gold 2. Because long life may bee comfortable without either riches or honour Many live very cheerfully too and in old age that never had any great means or preferment Use To comfort us against the crosses and infirmities of old age Many are dejected because they are not so much respected nor so rich as others Think with thy self long life is better These could do thee no good if life were gone and thou maist have comfort without them 6. Doct. Riches and honour are blessings in themselves though by many abused They are wisdoms gift Riches and honour are with me Chap. 8.18 They are Gods gift I will give thee riches and wealth and honour 2 Chron. 1.12 Reason 1. Because they are reckoned up amongst
Children hearken to such willingly that they may obtain the Rechabiles blessing Not to want a man of their posterity to stand before God for ever Jer. 35.19 Children can hearken to their Parents worldly counsels and remember them when they are dead and gone Much more account should they make of their spirituall advices 5. Doct. Children must never be drawn from their Parents good instructions They must not forsake them if they live to be old Prov. 22.6 Abraham's Children and houshold after him must keep the way of the Lord taught by him Gen. 18.19 Reason 1. Because Parents good instructions are a treasure and men are very carefull of their treasures Not onely to get but to keep them till old age against a time of need 2. There is much danger of losing this treasure Thine owne corruptions Satans temptations bad counsels examples like theeves seek to rob thee of it Vse 1. Take heed of seducers and all that would mislead thee Too many now have forgot their pious education both by errors and loosenesse of life whose Parents would scarce owne them if they were alive 2. Ye that are children lay up your Parents godly counsels not in your brains onely but in your hearts Ye may have need of them in age and death 6. Doct. Mothers must take pains to teach their children piety Else how should they obey their Mother ch 30.17 So did Solomon's Mother ch 31.1 Mothers of good and bad Kings are named in Kings and Chronicles as having a share in their childrens goodnesse or badnesse by their education Our first dayes are spent for the most part under our Mothers care while our Fathers are busied in their calling about matters of the Church or Common-wealth She therefore should take advantage thereof to teach us goodnesse Vse It condemns many fond Mothers that are careful to provide all things needfull for their children save onely good education and instruction They lose an opportunity of doing much good to their souls Children are more ready to hear Mothers then Fathers because they converse more with them and they are lesse stubborne then when they are bigger and come to their Fathers care We say they speak the Mother-tongue 7. Doct. Children must not slight their Mothers counsels If they do their eyes shall be pickt out by ravens and eagles Prov. 30.17 Solomon records his Mothers instruction Pro. 31.1 as well as his Fathers ch 4.4 The fifth Commandement requires honor to Mothers as well as to Fathers Exod. 20.12 A foolish man despiseth his Mother Prov. 15.20 Reason 1. Because Mothers bear great affection to their children and therefore ought to be heard 2. They endure most pain in breeding and bearing them and take most pains in nursing and tending them in tender yeers when they are least able to help themselves 3. Instruction is attributed to the Father which is accompanyed with correction but a milde law such as good Subjects live comfortably under or gentle teaching to the Mother She teacheth more mildely Vse To blame children that will hearken to their Fathers for fear of correction but account their Mothers instructions as words of weak and doting women because they cannot or will not correct them Though they be not so wise as men ordinarily yet love will teach them to give good counsel and women sometimes are wiser and better then their husbands who may be won by the conversation of their wives 1 Pet. 3.1 And many are beholding to their Mothers for their best instructions who as sometimes they are better so oftentimes have more leasure then their husbands 8. Doct. Mothers instructions agreeable to Gods Word should be as a Law to children The same words are repeated Prov. 6.20 Forsake not the law of thy Mother Disobeyers of Mothers must be punished as Law-breakers She may instruct well in precepts of life though it may be not so fully in matters of saith Now Laws concerning life are needfull also Vse Let good children look upon their Mothers instructions as Laws not to be broken all their life long Vers 9. For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head and chains about thy neek The reason to perswade Children to obey their Parents and to encourage them follows And Solomon being to teach children or simple ones like to children takes therefore his argument from Garlands and Chains that make a fair shew in the eyes of such persons as suiting to their capacity and affections to whom he speaks They are delighted in them and they please the vulgar much Thus the Spirit of God accommodates himself to Childrens temper They love shining things For the words For. The word carries not alwayes a cause with it but a reason or motive for the most part and often by way of promise So it is used chap. 23.17 18. Fear the Lord for surely there is an end or reward For so the word sometimes signifies and the sense requires it there Know thou the God of thy Father c. for the Lord searcheth all hearts 1 Chron. 28.9 They. The instruction of thy Father and law of thy Mother vers 8. Mothers may help to preferre their children as well as Fathers Shall be It is not in the Originall and therefore is written in lesser letters yet needfully added for children must not look for such preferment or respect while they are young but when learned and of yeers Harvest follows Seed-time presently An ornament of grace As the note of similitude is wanting They shall be as an ornament of grace See the like Job 7.7 My life is wind that is my life is as wind Heb. An addition of favour or joyning of grace Hence Levi had his name Now at this time my husband will be joyned unto me therefore was his name called Levi Gen. 29.34 But it must be an addition of ornament not for nothing nor for infamy but for honor or at least for acceptation To make thee amiable or honorable before others and comely in their eyes as Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord Gen. 6.8 As use-money brings an increase and Conquerors had garlands given them Vnto thy head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to or for thy head as this particle is rendred Psal 84. A Psalme for the Sons of Korah This shews that he means a garland or crown such as Kings and Priests used to wear upon their heads the highest member and most looked at in token of honour Zach. 3.5 6.11 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 1. The head which is the beginning or highest part of the body Job 19.9 He hath taken the crown from my head 2. The highest part of any thing which stands above the rest as the head above the other members The top of the ladder reaebed to heaven Gen. 28.12 3. A Commander in war or peace who is above the rest and guides them by reason as the head doth the members Numb 14.4 Let us make a Captain 4. The beginning of a thing In
50.9 c. And if God did need how should we supply his wants that cannot supply our own for soul or body He that cannot keep his own Family cannot relieve others 3. Because God is absolute Lord over all and may command what hee list without rewarding any creature in Heaven or in Earth For the second that yet he will give a full reward appears 1. Because he is mercifull and stands upon his honor And where justice will give no reward mercy will So Fathers promise many things to their children to encourage them to do their dutie Here is long and healthful years and prosperitie and what needs a man more in this life 2ly Because God is faithful and hath promised a full reward to every good action so that mercy and truth appear in it though justice require it not Vse 1. To acknowledge that if God blesse us in soul or bodie it is of his free grace not of the merit of our obedience He might by his right over us require service without pay yet he is so merciful that he wil not So a father may look for duty freely from a child yet he provides for him and gives him an inheritance 2ly Let this encourage us to dutie we owe it to God therefore doe it we shal have a ful reward therefore do it cheerfully this is a double band kindnesse useth to work more upon mens spirits then dutie so let it do with us toward God This encouraged Moses he knew he deserved nothing yet had respect unto the recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 Doct. 2. Gods rewards are such as men like wel ordinarily He gives his people a land of brooks fountains wheat barley wines fig-trees c. Deut. 8.7 A land that had goodly houses many herds of greater cattel many flocks of lesser much silver and gold c. Deut. 8 c. Reas It appears 1. in the particulars in the Text God promises long life peace and plenty what would man have more for his body who loves not all these Men love long life for that end they are choice in meat drink apparel baths physick they spare for no cost so do worldly men dote on peace and plenty These God promises 2ly it appears by the prayers of men no doubt they pray for what they love best and God often gives it as he gave wisdome to Solomon to guide a great Kingdome when he prayed for it 3ly By Gods aditional gifts to Solomon as honour and riches which he asked not yet could not but like wel when God gave them So he gives a comfortable earthly passage to them that seek for heaven seeke ye first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shal he added unto you Mat. 6 33. Who likes not a good way to a good end It is a double mercy Use Be careful to please God and trust him for rewards he will give such as thou likest and canst no where else get Gods precepts well kept wil be in stead of Diet Physick Guard and other means of preserving life If other means fail God wil preserve by these Doct. 3. Long life is a blessing God gave Abraham a good old age Gen. 25.8 The hoary head is a crown of glory c. Chap. 16.31 It is a sweet mercy and generally desired What man is he that desireth life and loveth many daies that he may see good Psal 34.12 As if he had said every man naturally doth desire it Men love life and abhor death With long life wil I satisfie him Psal 91.16 Reas 1. Because life it selfe is a blessing therefore the continuance of it is so 2ly Because God promiseth it to his servants as in the fift commandement and God useth to promise good things and threaten bad And this promise Wisdom useth as conceiving it wil much work upon the spirits of men for by me thy daies shal be multiplyed and the years of thy life shal be incrcased Chap. 9.11 3. It is a type of heaven which had it all the perfections of joy it hath yet were it not lasting it could not afford full happinesse 4. It is a resemblance of Gods eternity who is called The antient of daies Dan. 7.13 5. Short life is accounted a curse God theatens Eli that there should not be an old man in his house 1 Sam. 2.31 Sure then the contrary is a blessing 1. Obj. How is it a blessing when wicked men often live long Ans It is a blessing in it selfe and to good men who have the more time to serve God though it may be none yea a curse to wicked men who may sin the more and have the more pain in hel 2. Obj. Good men often have it not but die soon as Josiah 1. Ans It is in perilous times when it is better to die then to live From henceforth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord Rev. 14.13 It might have been a blessing to live long before in the time of the Churches prosperitie but not then in the time of her persecution then the righteous are taken away from the evil to come Isa 57.1 2. If in other times God take them away they lose not but get by it they get by death a longer and an happier yea an eternal life 3. Obj. Men may live long in miserie and that is a curse rather then a blessing Ans God wil give his servants prosperity with their long life if he see it fit for them if not he wil turn their afflictions to their good We know that all things worke together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 A Physician can make an healing medicine out of poison so can God make afflictions profitable to his Use 1. It shewes the folly of many men who would have long life yet look not after heavenly wisdome the means of continuing life Such shew themselves to be fooles as by adultery drunkennesse quarrels kill themselves or are killed by others because they follow not wisdome and holy directions they might live longer if they lived wisely and godlily Such complain in vain of shortnesse of life which they bring on themselves 2. It teaches us not to complain for the troubles of old age but to blesse God for the comforts we have seen more then others in the length of our daies Remember that God hath set the one over against the other Eccles 7.14 Sicut nun hirunde non facit ver nec una linea Geometram sic nec una dies vel breve tempus reddit hominem foelicem Recuperus As one swallow makes not a spring nor one line a Geometrician so neether one day nor a short time makes a man happy Doct. 4. Health in our daies is a great blessing also So it is promised It shal be health to thy navil and marrow to thy bones verse 8. They are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh Chap. 4.22 Reas 1. Because it gives a man much comfort in
wrong done to God by Idolatry is set out by this similitude Thou hast gone a whoring from thy God Hos 9.1 Reason 1. Because it wrongs him in his greatest propriety dearer to him then friends or children 2. It breaks the greatest obligation for he is her guide If he leave her she is in perpetual danger Her lovers having satisfied their lust will leave her 3. It may put the Husband to labour to provide for other mens children and is not that a great injury Vse Let women when they are tempted to wantonnesse think what wrong they do their Husbands So great that though they may repent and be pardoned by God yet they can never make their Husbands amends This is a soveraign antidote against Adultery 5. Doct. The Wise should be guided by her Husband Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands Eph. 5.22 See the same words Col. 3.18 Reason 1. Because the Husband is the guide as in the text 2. He is the head and the body must not rule It were a monster in nature to see the body placed above the head Vse Let Wives be content to be subject A man that being sober overturns the ship and drowns the passengers is not fit to guide it when he is drunk If innocent Eve missed Adam Wives now in the state of corruption are not fit to guide but must be guided 6. Doct. An adulteresse sins against God as well as against her Husband She breaks the seventh Commandement where God forbids it and separates those whom God the author of marriage hath joyned together and joyn them together and joyns them together whom God hath separated Vse Let Wives think of this and of Joseph's carriage to prevent adultery saying How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God Gen. 39.9 And if they be guilty let them say with David Against thee have I sinned Psal 51.4 And repent that they may be saved Vers 18. For her house enclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead The Wise-man proceeds to shew the greatnesse of the mercy of preservation from evill women by the greatnesse of the danger from which men are kept thereby That is from death it self which is most terrible in the thoughts of wanton persons and which if often thought of would keep them from wanton courses This danger is set out 1. In the kinde of it in this vers Death omnium terribilium terribilissimum The most terrible of all terrible things 2. By the irrecoverablenesse or hardnesse to return v. 19. For the first That the young man might see Solomon's counsel was not in vain he sets down the great mischief that befalls such as follow the Harlots wayes and enter into her house And how great evils he shall escape that comes not there is set out by the disorders of her house and deadly wayes of them that live there For the words For. This is no reason of the last vers why she wrongs her Husband and sins against God She did not do it that she might perish her self and undoe others but that she might satisfie her owne lust and covetousnesse But those words depend upon the beginning of v. 16. to shew the young man what a great mercy of God it was to keep him from the strumpets acquaintance and by consequence from utter destruction The Genevah translation reads surely As the same particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated Surely in vain the net is spread c. ch 1.17 And then it is an absolute sentence as if he had said Make account of nothing else but utter ruine if once thou enter into her house and joyn in her wayes Bain reads seeing And so ties it to the following v. as giving a reason why few return to wit because her house leads to death as if he had said to the young man If thou wilt not hearken to me but wilt enter into the Harlots house thou wilt finde death there and a great difficulty of returning Her house The filthy manners and wicked conversation used in her house For the word see on ch 1.13 Some understand it of the strumpet her self which leaving her husbands poor house lives with some adulterer in a stately house or hires one to entertain her lovers and thinks to live gallantly there but leaving her Husbands house hastens to the grave the house of darknesse and forsaking the covenant of her God goes to eternall darknesse But it is rather a caution to the young man to take heed of coming into her house because he shall find nothing there but death and destruction Enclineth Heb. boweth downward Not onely tends that way but with a descent and humiliation and laying low There is in her house a road-way to death and hell and that downward as men go down an hill apace not staying till they come to the bottome Vnto death It brings speedy death unto men both of soul and body And her paths See on v. 9. Vnto the dead It comes from a word that signifies to heal or cure by an Antiphrasis because the dead are past skill and cure of the Physician So a mountain mons à movendo because it moves not And a Wood lucus à lucendo because it wants light Wantonnesse takes men away from among the living and brings them to the dead in body and soul which have dyed before them either by a naturall death or by such like wanton courses as these men take Death and the dead here must include both spirituall and temporall death the grave and hell For it seems not a sufficient reason to keep men from adultery and from Harlots houses that they must die for this is common to all men A man may say as mockers do Let us commit adultery without any fear for nothing shall befall us which doth not befall the chastest men They must die as well as we It must needs therefore include hell also unlesse we should interpret it of a violent or early death which often befalls adulterers and may scare others more then hell For the one they see the other they beleeve not Many murders attend on adultery and ruine of whole families Others translate it unto the giants As the word is used Deut. 2.11 which also were accounted giants And then it comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to heal because they are strong and stout and need no Physician or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be faint or weak because the very sight of them makes others faint as if they had the pangs of death upon them And by these giants some mean the devils the tormentors of adulterers in hell others understand men of great might and great rebels against God such as those in the old world who abused their strength to wickednesse and wantonnesse whose bodies are now in the grave and souls in the deepest place of hell To both which places adulterers must descend to keep such wicked wretches company in eternall misery whom in their life they have